DOCSLIB.ORG

Thomas Paine's Influential Rhetoric in Common Sense

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Thomas Paine's Influential Rhetoric in Common Sense Revolutionary Persuasion: Thomas Paine’s Influential Rhetoric in Common Sense On January 10, 1776, an unknown English immigrant drastically altered the course of human events by publishing what has been referred to as the most influential pamphlet in American history. This man was Thomas Paine, and his pamphlet was titled Common Sense - two words which to this very day resonate as synonymous with American independence and freedom. Paine’s influential writing in Common Sense made an immediate impact on the minds and hearts of thousands of colonists throughout the densely populated eastern seaboard of North America, calling for an end to tyrannical British rule and for the subsequent foundation of an independent, egalitarian republic. Paine’s “hardnosed political logic demanded the creation of an American nation” (Rhetoric, np), and through his persuasive discourse he achieved just that. Paine’s knowledge and use of rhetorical skill was a main reason for the groundbreaking, widespread success of Common Sense, the magnitude of which, many would argue, has yet to be matched. Rhetoric is the art or science of persuasion and the ability to use language effectively. This paper will provide an in-depth analysis of Paine’s rhetoric in Common Sense by examining factors such as the historical time period, communicator attributes, and audience psychology, and will deliver a thorough application of contemporary modes of persuasive study to the document’s core ideological messages. To Paine, the cause of America was the cause of all mankind (Paine, 3), and for that matter he will be forever known as the father of the American Revolution. By the year 1776, tension between the American colonies and their British ruler was at a peak. Taxation without representation had fueled such rebellious acts as the Boston Tea Party, which prompted British parliament to pass the “Intolerable Acts.” It was becoming increasingly clear to the colonists that action had to be taken against such oppression, so each colony began its own small congressional body and many called their citizens to arms (Common, np). By the time Common Sense was published, small-scale warfare had been occurring for roughly nine months, with the battles of Lexington and Concord and Bunker Hill being the most prominent. The question of independence was being strongly considered, though it was not altogether the sentiment of the majority at the time. The rebellious colonists, consumed by feelings of fear, anger, and betrayal (Ferguson, 472), understood that now was the time to act on the idea of separation; but they were still in need of some justification - something that would give them a reason for the war they were already fighting. That justification arrived in the form of Common Sense, in which Paine writes “The time hath found us”, and, “Courage hath not yet forsaken us… Why is it that we hesitate?” (Paine, 35). In his writing, Paine stressed the important role of the present moment, and encouraged that the colonists not delay in their pursuit for independence. Of the approximately 2.5 million individuals inhabiting the American colonies in 1776, it seemed that many were on the verge of all-out revolution, and Common Sense served to tip the scales. After living the majority of his young adult life pursuing various trades in England, Thomas Paine arrived in the American colonies in late 1774 via the helping hand of Benjamin Franklin, who saw promising intellect in the eager Paine. Soon after Paine had assimilated to life in the colonies, he obtained the occupation of journalist for the Pennsylvania Magazine. Shortly thereafter, he became highly interested and involved in the political situations of the times, and garnished a local reputation as an able, well-spoken, and knowledgeable writer. He was a pamphleteer in the opportune “age of pamphleteering”, and was able to perpetually transform political language as a result. Paine’s ability as a captivating communicator “…helped to explain how the widest range of readers could be pulled into Paine’s orbit, and identifies the birth of a distinctively American voice in politics” (Ferguson, 469). Tom Paine’s personality and experiences also go a long way when attempting to dissect his emotional and thought-provoking mechanisms in Common Sense. Growing up, Paine was disillusioned by the concept of monarchial governance and aristocracy, and some cite that this hostility toward hereditary structures may be a result of the dysfunctional relationship he had with his father. Quickly made apparent in Common Sense is the idea that “Paine was a person who delighted in the destruction of tyrants” (Jordan, 304). As a person, Tom Paine maintained a sincere disposition; he was a man of integrity, creativity, courage, charisma, and passion. These communicator attributes allowed him to gain much credibility and fame through his writing, though this rise to prominence came with time. The first edition of Common Sense was published anonymously, which displayed Paine’s humility in that he strove for the dissemination of the truth, not the acquisition of authority or social attractiveness. Paine’s wide array of experiences gave him many comparative frames of reference and the ability to understand current events on many different levels of thought (Ferguson, 477). Ultimately, Paine was a common man who could relate to the plight of the King’s restless subjects. He not only spoke their language, but conveyed their sentiments in a persuasively bold style. One key element evident in Paine’s writing is that he understood the psychology of his audience, which is essential to the art of persuasion. Paine was an author who knew many things about his various audiences (Ferguson, 471), and certainly used this to his advantage when structuring his profound arguments in Common Sense. The pamphlet is written to “The Inhabitants of America”, which consisted of a wide variety of people across numerous backgrounds, ethnicities, backgrounds, beliefs, and intellect. Paine’s ability to connect with such a diverse populace is truly remarkable; his ability to unite them toward a common cause even more amazing. In its simplest terms, Common Sense was written by a common man for the common man. At this point in American history, there were three basic types of people which made up the bulk of Paine’s audience: Patriots, Loyalists, and the conservatives, or those who were still on the fence about the idea of independence. The Patriots were, of course, those who were widely in favor of revolution; they were ready for an immediate change, hungry for independence, and were rapidly gaining in number. These colonists “were surely ready for a plea for separation” (Jordan, 299), and Paine provided just that, effectively reinforcing their attitudes and inspiring a greater urgency for the cause of independence. The Loyalists, or “Tories” as many an infuriated Patriot referred to them as, made up those members of the population who were still loyal to the throne of England. They held strong attitudes on this position, and were not easily swayed – to them, the King was the only authority, and their plan of action was that the American colonies must pursue reconciliation. Paine saw them in need of much convincing, as he strongly and ferociously questioned and attacked these absurd claims of reconciliation by countering Loyalist assertions with evidence to the contrary. The conservative folk were those who were considering the idea of independence but would rather submit their complacence to the King than jump on board the vessel of revolution (Morgan, 74). Paine approached their position of cognitive dissonance, or inconsistency of thought, with appeals to their guilt of conscience and fear of imminent danger (which will be analyzed more thoroughly in the latter sections of this paper) in order to “light a fire” under them, so to speak, and engage them in a transformative state of mind, inspiring revolutionary sentiments in support of a cause greater than oneself. With this knowledge of his target audiences’ psychological factors, Paine was able to gain the trust of his fellow colonists, which required a big leap of faith by many who knew that their freedom, and perhaps their very livelihood, was on the line. “We are already greater than the King wishes us to be…” says Paine (25). To Paine, this sort of inspiration and encouragement was crucial to unifying the people toward independence, and this assertion clearly demonstrates the faith that Paine had in his colonial audience, for without their support, Common Sense would not have been nearly as influential. An evaluation of the ideological proclamations, goals, aims, and sentiments contained within the message of Common Sense is first necessary before attempting to carry out a full rhetorical analysis of Paine’s discourse. Thomas Paine drafted and published Common Sense within thirteen months of his arrival in the New World, and within three months of its publication, his popular pamphlet had sold nearly 120,000 copies throughout the North American seaboard. In today’s terms, that would be the equivalent of roughly ten million copies (Jordan, 296). The popularity of Paine’s work stemmed not only from its content, but from the many methods of dissemination it encountered; the high rate of colonial literacy was key, and “Colonists read it aloud in a wide variety of settings” (Rhetoric, np). George Washington even had it distributed and read to his soldiers to boost morale. The main purpose of Common Sense was to inspire American independence from British rule, but in order to achieve this goal Paine had to draw upon many ideological sentiments and weighty arguments, and he had to back his claims with much evidence. Common Sense is split into four main sections. The first is titled “Of the Origin and Design of Government in General, With Concise Remarks on the English Constitution.” The second section is titled “Of Monarchy and Hereditary Succession.” In these first two sections, Paine builds a strong foundation for American independence by providing the reader with logical reasons for the unjust, irrational, and evil tendencies of monarchial government.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Revolutionary Networks in the Age of Revolutions
    REVOLUTIONARY NETWORKS IN THE AGE OF REVOLUTIONS Heather Freund University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign In Paris in 1790, the Marquis de Lafayette gave the key to the Bastille to Thomas Paine to present to George Washington. Paine wrote to Washington that it was “an early trophy of the Spoils of Despotism and the first ripe fruits of American principles transplanted into Europe...That the principles of America opened the Bastile [sic] is not to be doubted, and therefore the Key comes to the right place.”1 Paine and Lafayette knew each other, and Washington, through their participation in the American Revolution. Thus, the episode was a symbolic token of the connection between the American and French Revolutions and tangible evidence of lasting personal relationships in the Age of Revolutions.2 Along with Thaddeus Kosciuszko, Paine, and Lafayette are examples of individuals who participated in more than one theater of this revolutionary age. This paper focuses on how their international fights for liberty resulted in complex notions of personal and national identity and connections between revolutions. The fact that these individuals and others participated in more than one theater of the Age of Democratic Revolutions and recognized it as a time of great promise demonstrates its significance and the importance of understanding the dynamics of the period from both an individual and international perspective. Historians often refer to the period from approximately 1776-1830 as the Age of Atlantic Revolutions, a time in which people on both sides of the Atlantic rebelled in the name of liberty and equality, amongst other things.
    [Show full text]
  • John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, and the Quasi-War with France
    John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, and the Quasi-War with France David Loudon General University Honors Professor Robert Griffith, Faculty Advisor American University, Spring 2010 1 John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, and the Quasi-War with France Abstract This paper examines the split of the Federalist Party and subsequent election defeat in 1800 through the views of John Adams and Alexander Hamilton on the Quasi-War with France. More specifically, I will be focusing on what caused their split on the French issue. I argue that the main source of conflict between the two men was ideological differences on parties in contemporary American politics. While Adams believed that there were two parties in America and his job was to remain independent of both, Hamilton saw only one party (the Republicans), and believed that it was the goal of all “real” Americans to do whatever was needed to defeat that faction. This ideological difference between the two men resulted in their personal disdain for one another and eventually their split on the French issue. Introduction National politics in the early American republic was a very uncertain venture. The founding fathers had no historical precedents to rely upon. The kind of government created in the American constitution had never been attempted in the Western World; it was a piecemeal system designed in many ways more to gain individual state approval than for practical implementation. Furthermore, while the fathers knew they wanted opposition within their political system, they rejected political parties as evil and dangerous to the public good. This tension between the belief in opposition and the rejection of party sentiment led to confusion and high tensions during the early American republic.
    [Show full text]
  • Thomas Paine Was a Radical Writer
    Thomas Paine was a radical writer whose ideas grew out of the revolutionary times through which he lived and whose importance lay in his ability to move public opinion by reaching a readership beyond traditional elite politics.Edward Royle examines his impact on Liberalism and liberal thought. Thomas Paine aine was born into short period working as a teacher Thomas Paine so necessary to their livelihoods, an artisan family in in London, he was reappointed (1737–1809) and their resentment at the use Thetford, Norfolk, on in Lewes where he married his by the higher classes of paper bills 29 January 1737. His landlady’s daughter and helped and promissory notes. This fed father, a stay-maker run their tobacconist’s shop. into his anti-aristocratic politics Pand a Quaker, sent his son to the Bankruptcy, the breakdown of and his suspicion of paper money. local grammar school where he his marriage, and a second dis- Paine’s political ideal was always was well educated in English but missal from the Excise then led to be that of the small, independ- not in Latin, for his father did him to emigrate to Philadelphia ent producer, free from oppres- not approve of the pagan clas- in 1774. sion and exploitation from above sics. Thus spared learning the From this first stage in his and from poverty below. He had classical forms of rhetoric which life Paine took experiences that gained experience of the lat- were then conventional among shaped his subsequent politi- ter when he served on the vestry the educated, Paine’s later writ- cal thought.
    [Show full text]
  • CONDORCET (1743–94) Bernard Jolibert1
    The following text was originally published in Prospects: the quarterly review of comparative education (Paris, UNESCO: International Bureau of Education), vol. XXIII, no. 1/2, 1993, p. 197-209. ©UNESCO: International Bureau of Education, 2000 This document may be reproduced free of charge as long as acknowledgement is made of the source. CONDORCET (1743–94) Bernard Jolibert1 In the discussions of ideas that constitute our daily intellectual environment there are certain words that reek of cordite and certain writers who give us a sense of peace. The term ‘secular’ is in the first category, and Condorcet in the second. A person who speaks of secular or non-religious education or schools, or of educational ‘neutrality’, immediately lays himself or herself open to being regarded either as a supporter of the ‘independent school’, that is private, clerical, religious, ‘right-wing’ and, needless to say, reactionary, or as a champion of public, secular, positivist, ‘left-wing’ and, needless to say, anti-clerical education. Simplistic images are powerful, and ingrained mental habits so reassuring. And yet the divisions are not always where one would like them to be. I may be that one of the first people to notice the caricatural exaggeration of this Manichaean representation of the school was in fact Condorcet, at a time when the present-day French noun denoting the principle of non-religious education did not yet exist. Rather than bludgeon the reader with an encyclopedic account of the educational writings and thought of Marie Jean Antoine Nicolas Caritat, Marquis de Condorcet, it seemed more useful to accompany this writer, insufficiently known in spite of media excitement over the bicentenary of the French Revolution, along the path that led him to discover the secular ideal.
    [Show full text]
  • The Common Sense Media Use by Kids Census: Age Zero to Eight
    2017 THE COMMON SENSE MEDIA USE BY KIDS CENSUS: AGE ZERO TO EIGHT Common Sense is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to improving the lives of kids, families, and educators by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in a world of media and technology. Our independent research is designed to provide parents, educators, health organizations, and policymakers with reliable, independent data on children’s use of media and technology and the impact it has on their physical, emotional, social, and intellectual development. For more information, visit www.commonsense.org/research. Common Sense is grateful for the generous support and underwriting that funded this research report. The Morgan Peter and The David and Lucile Family Foundation Helen Bing Packard Foundation Carnegie Corporation of New York The Grable Foundation Eva and Bill Price John H.N. Fisher and Jennifer Caldwell EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Opening Letter 4 Essays 6 Jenny Radesky: Taking Advantage of Real Opportunities to Help Families Overwhelmed by Technology . 6 Michael H. Levine: M Is for Mobile . 6 Julián Castro: A Narrowing but Still Troubling Divide . 8 At a Glance: Evolution of Kids’ Media Use 2011–2017 9 Introduction 11 Methodology 12 Survey Sample . 12 Media Definitions . 12 Demographic Definitions. 13 Presentation of Data in the Text . 13 Key Findings 15 Conclusion 29 Board of Directors 30 Board of Advisors 30 To access the full research report, visit www commonsense org/zero-to-eight-census At Common Sense, our mission has always been to help families navigate the vast and ever-changing landscape of media and technology.
    [Show full text]
  • 816 0008G.Pdf
    8 Meanwhile, the Second Continental Congress was moving inexorably towards a clean break from England. On June 7, 1776, fiery Henry Lee of Virginia moved that the united colonies should declare their independence. Lee’s resolution was formally adopted on July 2. Congress then appointed a committee to prepare an appropriate statement. A rupture of this nature called for a formal explanation to justify such action, to rally resistance in the colonies, and to win support from foreign nations. Thomas Jefferson was called upon as one contemporary described it to “advertise Mr. Lee’s resolution.” Jefferson rose to the occasion and gave his appeal a universal flavor by invoking the natural rights of humankind. Every attempt was made to make it clear that George III was the villain and not the British people. Jefferson was a product of the Enlightenment Period, and he borrowed extensively from Rousseau, Locke, Voltaire, Montesquieu, and others. Jefferson delivered a withering blast at British tyranny and was not above taking certain liberties with historical truth. Some critics viewed his declaration as “the world’s greatest editorial.” The Declaration of Independence had a universal impact and was a “shout heard round the world.” It became the source of countless revolutionary movements against arbitrary power. VIDEO OBJECTIVES The following objectives are designed to assist the viewer in identifying the most significant aspects of the video segment of this lesson. You should take succinct notes while viewing the video. 1. Assess the significance of the Second Continental Congress. 2. Analyze the importance of Thomas Paine and his Common Sense and his American Crisis papers.
    [Show full text]
  • 7.2 and 7.3 Notes Common Sense •Common Sense- Pamphlet Written
    7.2 and 7.3 Notes Common Sense •Common Sense- pamphlet written by Thomas Paine •Argued for breaking away from GB •Sold 500,000 copies across the colonies •Written for the common man •Said people, not kings/queens should make the laws •Helped to gain support for independence Declaring Independence •June 1776, Second Continental Congress created a committee to write the Declaration of Independence –John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert Livingston, Roger Sherman were all committee members –Thomas Jefferson was the main author Declaration of Independence •Three main ideas –All men possess unalienable rights •Life, liberty, pursuit of happiness –King George III violated the colonists’ rights •Passing unfair laws, interfering with colonial self-gov’t •Taxing colonies w/out their consent –Colonies had the right to break away from GB •Rulers should protect the rights of their citizens –July 4th, 1776 Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence Patriots Vs. Loyalists •Patriots-colonists who fought for independence •Loyalists- colonists who remained loyal to GB –Also called Tories •Loyalists became targets of abuse by Patriots •100,000 loyalists fled to Canada during the revolution Reactions to the Declaration •The Declaration did not give everyone freedom •Some were upset that the wording of the Declaration of Independence “all men are created equal” did not mention women –Abigail Adams, wife of John Adams was a proponent for women’s recognition •The Declaration also did not recognize enslaved African Americans
    [Show full text]
  • De Sade's Theatrical Passions
    06.puchner 4/19/05 2:28 PM Page 111 Martin Puchner Sade’s Theatrical Passions The Theater of the Revolution The Marquis de Sade entered theater history in 1964 when the Royal Shakespeare Company, under the direction of Peter Brook, presented a play by the unknown author Peter Weiss entitled, The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade.1 Marat/Sade, as the play is usually called, became an extraordinary success story.2 By com- bining narrators with techniques developed in a multi-year workshop entitled “Theater of Cruelty,” Marat/Sade managed to link the two modernist visionaries of the theater whom everybody had considered to be irreconcilable opposites: Bertolt Brecht and Antonin Artaud. Marat/Sade not only fabricated a new revolutionary theater from the vestiges of modernism, it also coincided with a philosophical and cul- tural revision of the French revolution that had begun with Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer’s The Dialectics of Enlightenment (1944/69) and found a preliminary culmination in Michel Foucault’s History of Madness (1972). At the same time, the revival of Sade was fu- eled by the first complete publication of his work in French (1967) and by Roland Barthes’ landmark study, Sade Fourier Loyola (1971).3 Marat/Sade had thus hit a theatrical and intellectual nerve. Sade, however, belongs to theater history as more than just a char- acter in a play.Little is known about the historical Sade’s life-long pas- sion for the theater, about his work as a theater builder and manager, an actor and director.
    [Show full text]
  • PERHAPS the Sentiments Contained in the Following Pages Are Not Yet Sufficiently Fashionable to Procure Them General Favor
    LESSON: THOMAS PAINE, COMMON SENSE, 1776 FULL TEXT “for God’s sake, let us come New York Public Library to a final separation” Thomas Paine COMMON SENSE *January 1776 Presented here is the full text of Common Sense from the third edition (published a month after the initial pamphlet), plus the edition Appendix, now considered an integral part of the pamphlet’s impact. INTRODUCTION 1 PERHAPS the sentiments contained in the following pages are not yet sufficiently fashionable to procure them general favor. A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong gives it a superficial appearance of being right, and raises at first a formidable outcry in defense of custom. But the tumult soon subsides. Time makes more converts than reason. 2 As a long and violent abuse of power is generally the Means of calling the right of it in question (and in Matters too Thomas Paine which might never have been thought of, had not the American Antiquarian Society Sufferers been aggravated into the inquiry), and as the King of England hath undertaken in his own Right to support the Parliament in what he calls Theirs, and as the good people of this country are grievously oppressed by the combination, they have an undoubted privilege to inquire into the preten- sions of both, and equally to reject the usurpation of either. 3 In the following sheets, the author hath studiously avoided everything which is personal among ourselves. Compliments as well as censure to individuals make no part thereof. The wise and the worthy need not the triumph of a pamphlet; and those whose sentiments are injudicious or unfriendly will cease of themselves unless too much pains are bestowed upon their conversion.
    [Show full text]
  • Thomas Paine
    I THE WRITINGS OF THOMAS PAINE COLLECTED AND EDITED BY MONCURE DANIEL CONWAY AUTHOR OF L_THE LIFR OF THOMAS PAINE_ y_ _ OMITTED CHAPTERS OF HISTOIY DI_LOSED IN TH I_"LIFE AND PAPERS OF EDMUND RANDOLPH_ tt _GEORGE W_HINGTON AND MOUNT VERNON_ _P ETC. VOLUME I. I774-I779 G. P. Pumam's Sons New York and London _b¢ "lkntckcrbo¢#¢_ I_¢ee COPYRIGHT, i8g 4 BY G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS Entered at Stationers' Hall, London BY G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS CONTENTS. PAGB INTRODUCTION V PREFATORY NOTE TO PAINE'S FIRST ESSAY , I I._AFRICAN SLAVERY IN AMERICA 4 II.--A DIALOGUE BETWEEN GENERAL WOLFE AND GENERAL GAGE IN A WOOD NEAR BOSTON IO III.--THE MAGAZINE IN AMERICA. I4 IV.--USEFUL AND ENTERTAINING HINTS 20 V._NEw ANECDOTES OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT 26 VI.--REFLECTIONS ON THE LIFE AND DEATH OF LORD CLIVE 29 VII._CUPID AND HYMEN 36 VIII._DUELLING 40 IX._REFLECTIONS ON TITLES 46 X._THE DREAM INTERPRETED 48 XI._REFLECTIONS ON UNHAPPY MARRIAGES _I XII._THOUGHTS ON DEFENSIVE WAR 55 XIII.--AN OCCASIONAL LETTER ON THE FEMALE SEX 59 XIV._A SERIOUS THOUGHT 65 XV._COMMON SENSE 57 XVI._EPISTLE TO QUAKERS . I2I XVII.--THE FORESTER'SLETTERS • I27 iii _v CONTENTS. PAGE XVIII.mA DIALOGUE. I6I XIX.--THE AMERICAN CRISIS . I68 XX._RETREAT ACROSS THE DELAWARE 38I XXI.--LETTER TO FRANKLIN, IN PARIS . 384 XXII.--THE AFFAIR OF SILAS DEANE 39S XXIII.--To THE PUBLm ON MR. DEANE'S A_FAIR 409 XXIV.mMEssRs. DEANS, JAY, AND G_RARD 438 INTRODUCTION.
    [Show full text]
  • Causes of the American Revolution
    Missing Pieces of the Puzzle: African Americans in Revolutionary Times “Tell them that if I am Black I am free born American & a revolutionary soldier & therefore ought not to be thrown entirely out of the scale of notice.” -John Chavis to Willie P. Mangum, March 10, 1832 Overview In a puzzle, each piece counts. Yet often when studying the Revolutionary War, we forget to acknowledge the important roles Africans and African Americans played, whether in fighting for either side of the war, or fighting for their own rights to freedom. Without including their pieces of the puzzle, the history we learn is incomplete. In this lesson, students will learn how Blacks were contributing to colonial society, making active choices to survive their bondage and striving to shape and control their own lives amidst the Patriots’ struggle for political freedom. By participating in an in depth class discussion centering around a Power Point presentation, students will explore the roles of Blacks during the Revolutionary War, gaining an understanding of the contradiction of a nation seeking independence while simultaneously denying freedom to those enslaved. Students will share their new understanding by creating an artistic bulletin board-sized puzzle (“Every Piece Counts”) focused on the roles African Americans played during the Revolutionary War. Grades 5, 8, 11 Materials • African Americans in Revolutionary Times Power Point; available in the Database of K-12 Resources (in PDF format) at https://k12database.unc.edu/files/2012/05/AfricanAmericansRevWarPPT1.pdf
    [Show full text]
  • The “Common Sense” of Adams the Establishment of an Independent Judiciary
    Country I would cheerfully retire from public life forever, renounce all Chance for Profits or Honors from the public, nay I would cheerfully contribute my little Property to obtain Peace and Liberty. — But all these must go and my Life too before I can surrender the Right of my Country Constitutionally Sound Adams had recently returned from France in 1779 to a free Constitution. when he was selected as a delegate to the Massachusetts constitutional convention and asked to write the draft constitution for the —John Adams to Abigail Adams, October 7, 1775 state. The Massachusetts Constitution remains the oldest functioning written constitution in the world to this day. The document echoed (Above) The Massachusetts Constitution, many of Adams’s recommendations in his earlier 1780. Boston Public Library, Rare Books Thoughts on Government, particularly the & Manuscripts Department. (Below) Constitutions des Treize Etats-Unis separation and balance of political powers and de l’Amerique, 1783. The John Adams Library The “Common Sense” of Adams the establishment of an independent judiciary. at the Boston Public Library. The most famous pamphlet of the American Revolution, Common Sense was written by The title page includes an image of Englishman Thomas Paine in early 1776 as a the Great Seal of the United States, provocative call to action for the colonies to John Adams purchased two which had been recently adopted copies of Common Sense en route by the Continental Congress in June declare their independence from Britain. First to the Continental Congress in 1782. It is the seal’s first known use published anonymously, Common Sense was Philadelphia in February, 1776, and in a printed book.
    [Show full text]